Policies

Exotic pet and wildlife trade

Purpose This document is intended to raise awareness of biodiversity, biosecurity and welfare risks associated with the legal and illegal trade in wildlife. This policy is mainly focused on the […]

Forced Swim Test and Forced Smoke Inhalation Experiments

Purpose To advocate for cessation of forced swim tests and nose-only forced smoke inhalation experiments, and for a phase-out of whole body smoke inhalation experiments as soon as possible. Policy […]

Post-racing transition and retraining: Ensuring effective aftercare for retired horses

Purpose This policy aims to provide guidance for the transition of horses from racing to optimise both the horse’s welfare and human health and safety. This policy can be used […]

Contextualised care

Purpose To guide members and advocate for education and delivery of contextualised veterinary care, promoting collaborative approaches that improve animal welfare, client satisfaction, and veterinary team wellbeing (Corrigan et al., […]

Enhancing veterinary care through veterinary social services

Purpose This position statement aims to educate the veterinary sector, government, industry stakeholders, and the public about the emerging field of veterinary social services and the role of Human-Animal Bond […]

Sustainability: implications for animal production, companion animals and veterinary practice

Purpose To inform about key concepts and current concerns regarding ecosystem sustainability; to highlight those aspects of most relevance to the veterinary profession; and to provide a basis for any […]

Beef and sheep feedlots

Policy Beef cattle and sheep/lamb feedlots must be operated in compliance with the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Cattle and the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for […]

Caprine arthritis encephalitis (CAE)

Technical update 29 September 2022 Policy Caprine arthritis encephalitis (CAE) should be considered by the Animal Health Committee for classification nationally as a notifiable disease. A single national eradication strategy […]

Castration of adult rams

Policy The castration of adult rams must be treated as a major surgical procedure and be performed only by a veterinarian. Appropriate perioperative care including analgesia must be provided. Background […]

Feeding rabbits and guinea pigs

Policy Rabbits and guinea pigs must be fed a predominantly grass hay and/or grass diet, to ensure proper wear of their dentition, to promote proper gut function and to ensure […]